Health · Syracuse

Syracuse, NY health

Syracuse differs from New York on 22 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (6.1% vs 7.7%) and fewer adults with high cholesterol (31.8% vs 37.7%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing a utility shut-off (15.4% vs 8.2%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Syracuse

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Syracuse’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Syracuse is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns, and than 52% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthCPhysical distressDMental distressDObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 19%

Less healthyHealthier

New York towns we grade (1,227)Healthier than 3%

Towns with similar incomes, $36K–$60K (4,596)Healthier than 52%

Better than its income would suggest. Syracuse is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C−.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Syracuse could be anywhere from D to C+.

How the Health Grade works

Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in New York ranking.
Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Syracuse with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Syracuse uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.

Report card

How Syracuse compares with New York

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Syracuse adults…

36 of every 100 Syracuse adults have high blood pressure

New York: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 32.9–38.9%

Bars show Syracuse; the black tick is New York. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Syracuse, betterSyracuse, worseToo close to callNew York

Get no exerciseshare of adults 30.7% Syracuse
NY 25.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.8% Syracuse
NY 37.9%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.3% Syracuse
NY 16.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.1% Syracuse
NY 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Syracuse adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.

Yearly checkup

NY 81%

Dentist visit

NY 64%

Cholesterol check

NY 89%

Colon screening

NY 67%

Mammogram

NY 79%

Taking BP meds

NY 77%

1 in 10

working-age adults has no health insurance

Syracuse 9.7% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)

Mind & connection

How Syracuse adults are doing

1 in 3Syracuse adults feel lonely

38% · New York 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Syracuse adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.3% · New York 17.5% · worse

1 in 4Syracuse adults lack social or emotional support

28.2% · New York 26.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Syracuse adults are in frequent mental distress

20.8% · New York 15% · worse

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 3

Syracuse adults worry about having enough food

28.7% · NY 17.2% · worse

1 in 5

Syracuse adults worry about keeping their housing

22.2% · NY 14.5% · worse

1 in 6

Syracuse adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

15.4% · NY 8.2% · worse

1 in 6

Syracuse adults lack reliable transportation

15.8% · NY 8.6% · worse

29.5% of Syracuse adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.6%

of Syracuse adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.3%

Thinking or memory18.1%

Hearing5.7%

Errands alone12.4%

Vision8%

Dressing or bathing5.8%

Black tick: New York. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Syracuse

Syracuse and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Syracuse.

33.8%41.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#15 of 15towns on this map, healthiest first

Onondaga34%

DeWitt34.5%

Geddes36%

Salina36.8%

Solvay37.7%

East Syracuse37.9%

Syracuse41.5%

Care in and near Syracuse

4 hospitals and 2 community health centers in Syracuse. Nearest first.

University Hospital S U N Y Health Science CenterSyracuse · 0.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Syracuse VA Medical CenterSyracuse · 0.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · VA Directions Medicare profile

Crouse HospitalSyracuse · 0.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Joseph's Hospital Health CenterSyracuse · 1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Sch - 930 Main CampusSyracuse · 0.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees · 4 sites in Syracuse Directions to nearest site

Liberty Resources, Inc. - SyracuseSyracuse · 1.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary carePart of Syracuse is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Syracuse RSA-52 · need score 16 of 25

! Dental carePart of Syracuse is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - City of Syracuse · need score 17 of 25

! Mental healthPart of Syracuse is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, City of Syracuse RSA 52 · need score 19 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Syracuse. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Syracuse

Measure	Syracuse	Margin	New York
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	35.8%	32.9–38.9%	32.6%	worse
High cholesterol	31.8%	29–34.9%	37.7%	better
Obesity	41.5%	37–46.3%	28.8%	worse
Arthritis	23.7%	21.6–26.1%	24%	about the same
Depression	23.3%	20.6–26.3%	17.5%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	22.2%	19–25.6%	12.8%	worse
Asthma	12.6%	11.3–14%	10.3%	worse
Cancer (not skin)	6.1%	5.6–6.7%	7.7%	better
Diabetes	12.7%	11.3–14.2%	11.5%	about the same
COPD	8.2%	7.4–9%	6%	worse
Heart disease	6.5%	5.9–7.1%	6.1%	about the same
Stroke	3.9%	3.7–4.2%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16.1%	14.3–18.1%	11.3%	worse
Binge drink	15.3%	13.1–17.9%	16.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	30.7%	27.4–34.3%	25.9%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	41.8%	37.3–46.4%	37.9%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.1%	77.4–82.8%	80.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	53.4%	50.1–56.5%	63.5%	worse
Cholesterol check	82.5%	80.7–84.2%	89.2%	worse
Colon screening	64.9%	60.7–68.8%	66.8%	about the same
Mammogram	77.9%	71.9–83.1%	78.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	73.6%	71.3–75.9%	77.2%	worse
No health insurance	9.7%	8.5–10.9%	7.9%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	38%	33.6–42.4%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	28.2%	24.8–31.7%	26.4%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	20.8%	18.8–22.9%	15%	worse
Fair or poor health	23.9%	21.6–26.3%	18.1%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.4%	13.9–17.1%	12.8%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	28.7%	25.9–31.5%	17.2%	worse
Housing insecurity	22.2%	19.9–24.6%	14.5%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	15.4%	13.8–17.2%	8.2%	worse
No reliable transportation	15.8%	14.3–17.4%	8.6%	worse
Receive SNAP	29.5%	27.2–32.1%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	34.6%	31.3–38%	27.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.3%	14.7–18%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	18.1%	16.4–19.9%	12.1%
Hearing	5.7%	5.1–6.3%	5.6%
Vision	8%	7.4–8.7%	5.2%
Dressing or bathing	5.8%	5.4–6.2%	3.8%
Errands alone	12.4%	11.3–13.6%	7.7%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Syracuse door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the New York figure falls inside it, we don't call Syracuse better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Syracuse directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.